Process for the preparation of synthetic diene polymers modified by reaction with certain anhydrides or imides in the presence of mono-olefins



Patented Sept. 8., 1970 US. Cl. 260-784 12 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The green strength of synthetic diene polymers (lithium-polyisoprene) is improved by their reaction with an anhydride or imide of an olefinically unsaturated 1,2- dicarboxylic acid (maleic anhydride or a maleimide) in a solvent comprising Ill-100% w. of one or more monoolefinic hydrocarbons (amylenes).

This invention relates to a process for the preparation of a modified synthetic diene polymer in which process the modification is brought about by reaction with an anhydride or imide of an olefinically unsaturated 1,2-dicarboxylic acid, for example, maleic anhydride or a maleimide. As a rule, a degree of modification is envisaged which is just sufficient to obtain rubbery polymers having a desired improvement of the green strength. The term green strengt is to be understood to mean the tensile strength of an unvulcanized composition of the modified polymer containing a reinforcing agent, in which composition the vulcanizing agents may already be present. However, modified polymers of the elastoplastic type, which polymers have a higher content of bound anhydride or bound imide, are included as well.

STATEMENT OF THE INVENTION According to the invention the modification reaction of the diene polymer with the anhydride or imide of the olefinically unsaturated 1,2-dicarboxylic acid is carried out in a solution of the polymer to be modified in a solvent comprising 1.0-100% w. of one or more monoolefinic hydrocarbons.

It has been found that the rate of the modification reaction accelerates when carried out in the polymer-olefin solution than when a conventional aromatic solvent, such as benzene or toluene, or an alkane, such as isooctane, is used as the sole solvent. Moreover, the gel content of the modified polymers prepared in the mono-olefin solvents according to the invention is usually lower.

Furthermore, it is surprising that under the abovementioned conditions, as well as under the conditions to be described hereinafter, the anhydride or imide is prefer entially bound to the diene polymer, and that the monoolefinic hydrocarbons react at most only to a very small extent with the said modification agents. Even if unreacted diene monomers should be present a sufiicient amount of modifying agent is bound to the polymer.

The invention can therefore be defined as a process for the preparation of a modified synthetic diene polymer by reaction of the polymer to be modified with an anhydride or amide of an olefinically unsaturated 1,2-dicarboxylic acid, said reaction being carried out in a solution of the polymer to be modified in a solvent comprising 1.0-% w. of one or more mono-olefinic hydrocarbons.

The invention also includes the reaction with both an anhydride and an imide of the types hereinbefore defined.

The solvent to be applied preferably comprises one or more acyclic alkenes having from three to ten carbon atoms, for example, propene, the butenes, the pentenes and the hexenes. Mixtures comprising one or more of the said alkenes and optionally also one or more alkanes, for example, alkanes having the same number of carbon atoms as the said alkene(s), are also envisaged. In general, those solvents are particularly preferred whose monoolefinic hydrocarbon content is at least 10% w,. for example, a solvent containing 15-50% w. acyclic alkenes, the remainder being mainly one or more acyclic alkanes or even one or more acyclic alkanes together with one or more acyclic alkadienes, particularly an acyclic alkadiene again having the same number of carbon atoms as the alkenes.

Although maleic anhydride and the maleimides are the most preferred modifying agent, the anhydrides and the imides of otherolefinically unsaturated 1,2-dicarboxylic acids may also be applied, preferably those having four or five carbon atoms and a carbon-carbon double bond in conjugation with a carbonyl double bond, for example, of chloromaleic acid, citraconic acid (that is, methylmaleic acid) or itaconic acid (which is a tautomer of citraconic acid) In general, the imides to be employed differ from the said anhydrides in that the group is replaced by a group, in which R represents a hydrogen atom or a hydrocarbyl group which may have one or more substituents. By preference, the imides of maleic acid are used, N-hydrocarbylmaleimides such as the N-aryl, the N-aralkyl, the N-alkaryl and the N-alkylimides being the most prefered representatives. Special preference is given to N-phenylmaleimide and those N-alkylmaleimides in which the alkyl group has 1-40 carbon atoms. Further particularly useful compounds are the bismaleimides, for instance, N,N-m-phenylenebismaleimide, N,N'-ethylenebismaleimide and N,N'-hexarnethylenebismaleimide. Furthermore, adducts of the said anhydrides or imides with diene monomers, for instance the adduct of One isoprene molecule with one anhydride molecule or with one imide molecule may likewise be applied.

As far as the conjugated diene polymers to be modified are concerned, preference is given to isoprene polymers and especially to synthetic high cis-1,4-isoprene polymers prepared by solution polymerization in the presence of a lithium hydrocarbyl initiator. Other very suitable diene polymers are those polymers which have also been prepared by solution polymerization, but with the aid of a catalyst formed from a hydrocarbon-soluble cobalt compound and a hydrocarbyl aluminum compound. Such polymers are, for example, the butadiene polymers.

Besides homopolymers, copolymers of two or more different dienes or of a diene with a monomer of another type, such as styrene, may be employed as the diene polymer to be modified. Suitable examples of such copolymers are butadiene-styrene copolymers prepared in solution by means of a lithium hydrocarbyl initiator.

A very attractive method for carrying out the process according to the invention can be used if the diene polymer to be modified has been prepared by solution polymerization in a mono-olefinic solution. In this case the modification reaction is preferably brought about in the polymer solution originating from such polymerization, which solution may contain up to about 22% W. of diene polymer. The method just mentioned has the advantage that no solvent switch is required. It is even possible to start the modification reaction at the moment that the polymerization reaction is to be terminated. The added anhydride or imide then acts as a terminator for the living polymer chain as well. Moreover, retardation of the modification reaction, which might occur owing to the presence of a previously added conventional terminator (for instance an alcohol) or molecular oxygen (which might be introduced unintentionally simultaneously with the said terminator) will thus be prevented.

The polymer solution to be subjected to the modifica tion reaction preferably contains less than w. of non-converted diene monomer. As far as the non-converted monomer reacts with part of the anhydride or imide, such a reaction is usually neither harmful nor unprofitable, for as a rule there is a large underdose of anhydride or imide with respect to the non-converted diene monomer; therefore, the reaction would result mainly in the formation of only very small amounts of a 1:1 (m./m.) adduct, which will be bound to or incorporated into the modified polymer Without the latter being deteriorated.

As far as the solvents are concerned, preference is given to those mono-olefinic hydrocarbon(s) having the same number of carbon atoms as the diene monomer from which the polymer has been prepared. If, for example, the polymer to be modified is a synthetic isoprene polymer (which is especially preferred), a solvent comprising one or more pentenes will be used for choice. Thus, the modification of an isoprene polymer prepared by solution polymerization in the presence of a lithium hydrocarbyl compound and in a solvent containing one or more pentenes is preferably carried out in the polymer solution originating from the said polymerization. If the polymerization feed contains isopentane in addition to isoprene, pentene isomers and small amounts of other hydrocarbons, for instance cisand trans-piperylene, the polymer solution in which the modification reaction is to be effected will contain mainly the same hydrocarbons. The content of unconverted isoprene is usually less than 5% w., for example, about 3% w. or even less than 1% w. As a rule the content of piperylene isomers (of which only the trans-isomer is capable of reacting with the present modifying agents) also is very low.

Preferred solvents for the modification of polybutadiene according to the invention are butene isomers or a mixture comprising one or more of them, which solvents, if so desired, may contain other hydrocarbons as well, for

instance an aromatic hydrocarbon or a small amount of butadiene or both.

The reaction of the diene polymer with the anhydride or imide is preferably brought about:

(a) In the presence of an added hydrocarbon-soluble radical-yielding initiator at a temperature below C., the most preferred temperature being below 110 C., or

(b) In the absence of an added initiator at a tempera ture within the range of from 60 to 200 C., with a special preference for temperatures within the range of from 100 to 180 C., and

(0) By shearing the polymer solution with a total energy of at least 100 watt hours per liter and a shear rate of at least 10,000 secf If desired, method (c) may be combined with method (a) or method (b).

Suitable, radical-yielding initiators are organic peroxides or hydroperoxides, such as dibenzoyl peroxide, dilauroyl peroxide, cumene hydroperoxide, paramenthane hydroperoxide, diazoaminobenzene and azobisisobutyronitrile. Promoters which activate the radical-yielding initiators may, if desired, also be used.

If the modification is carried out by means of shearing, a high viscosity of the polymer solution is desired and therefore a polymer with a relatively high molecular weight and a solution with a high polymer concentration will usually be desired. The polymer concentration of the solution to be sheared is preferably at least 5% w. Shearing can be effected by conventional means, for instance, with the aid of a turbomixer or a colloid mill.

In general, it is advisable to take care that the conditions for the modification reaction, for example, with respect to temperature and pressure, are chosen so as to ensure the maintenance of a one-phase system.

The modification is preferably continued until 100 grams of the modified polymer contain at least 0.2 milligram equivalent (meq.) of ring carbonyl groups. However, sometimes a lower content of ring carbonyl groups, e.g., 0.05 to 0.2 milligram equivalent per 100 grams of modified polymer, may already be efficient, in particular when an imide is used as the modification agent. The preferred maximum content of ring carbonyl groups is 30 milligram equivalent per 100 grams of modified polymer. If one desires to prepare rubbery products, having im proved green strength, preference is given to a content of ring carbonyl groups within the range of from 0.2 to 10.0 milligram equivalents per 100 grams of modified polymer, Whereas thermoelastic products usually require a ring carbonyl group content of 10 to 30 milligram equivalents per 100 grams of modified polymer.

Sometimes it may be attractive to prepare mixtures of one or more modified diene polymers with one or more non-modified diene polymers, for instance, by mill blending, solution blending, blending in an internal mixer or in an extruder or by other methods known in the art.

As a rule the anhydride or the imide is added to the solution of the polymer to be modified, in a molten condition or as a solution, for example, in an aliphatic solvent, which may be identical with the solvent in which the diene polymer is dissolved, or in an aromatic solvent, such as toluene or benzene.

The modified diene polymers prepared according to the invention can be recovered from their solution by any method known in the art. As a rule an antioxidant is added to the solution (for example, after the latter has been cooled), whereupon the solvent is removed by steamstripping.

I The present process may, if so desired, be performed in a continuous manner.

The invention is illustrated by the following examples.

EXAMPLE I A number of modification reactions (Experiment Nos. 1a, 2a, 3a, 4a and 521) were carried out in 10% w. solutions of a synthetic isoprene polymer in a mixture comprising 57.3% w. of pentene isomers, 40.8% w. of isopentane, 0.5% w. of isoprene monomer, .4% W. of transpiperylene and about 1.0% w. of other hydrocarbons. The polymer had been obtained by polymerization with the aid of a lithium hydrocarbyl initiator. The I.V. (intrinsic viscosity) of the polymer, determined in toluene isoprene solutions containing pentenes and isopentane as described in Example I. However the solutions were heated to 110 C. and brought into reaction with maleic anhydride (MA) in the absence of an added initiator. The quantity of MA added is shown in Table II.

at 30 C., was about7 dl./g.; its content of low-molecular- After a reaction period of 4 hours at 110 C., while Weight material having an I.V. below 1 dL/g. amounted stirring continuously, the reaction mixture was subjected to about 15% W. to steam-stripping in the presence of an antioxidant. The

The rubber solutions were heated to 70 C. while crumbs obtained were redissolved and the modified polystirring with a ribbon stirrer. Then, per 100 parts by mer precipitated as described in Example I, whereupon weight of the isoprene rubber 3 parts by weight (3 phr.) the MA content of the precipitated product was deter of a C -labelled maleic anhydride (MA) was added in a mined by radioactive tracer analysis. The results are colmolten condition to each solution, together with a radicallected in Table II which also shows the tensile strength yielding initiator whose name and added quantity (in and the elongation at break of sheets of an unvulcanized phr,) are shown in Table I. The mixture were kept at composltion prepared according to the following recipe 70 C. for 4 hours, while stirring was continued. After P ts by weight): /2, 1, 2, 3 and 4 hours samples were taken from the solutions, which samples were subjected to steam-stripping in the presence of a small amount of an antioxidant, Then Modlfied lubber 100 the crumbs obtained were dissolved in toluene whereupon Steam? acld 3 the modified polymer was precipitated from the resulting HAF'black 50 solutions by adding methanol. 2110 5 The MA content of the precipitated product obtained NaPhthemc nyneral 011 5 from each sample was determined by radio active tracer P PY -phenyl-pa raphen 1 n diamm 1 analysis. The results are listed in Table I below, which Polymenzed tnmethyl dlhydmqumohne 1 also presents some other data concerning the modified Sulfur products (N,N-oxyd1ethy1ene)Z-benzothiazolesulfenamlde 0.7

For comparison another series of experiments (Nos. 1b, 2b, 3b, 3f and 5b) were carried out in the same Th d way, with exception that instead of the above-mentioned 6 5 2 g;% i etermmed accordmg to solvent, toluene was used. It will be noted that after ASTM usmgl 16 h the initial period of reaction, the samples prepared in Experiment 6 re f to t e .tenslle Propane? the presence of monoolefin showed that a higher rate the polylsoPrene before It w modlfiefii the concermng of reaction had occurred compared with the rate obtained data are glven for ccfmpanson- Expenment Q 9b9f in the Presence f l have been performed 1n the same way as Expernnent 9a, AMPLE but with different solvents, which are indicated in the EX H notes of Table II. The solvents used in Experiment Nos. A number of modification reactions (Experiment Nos. 9b-9e do not comprise mono-olefinic hydrocarbons; the 7-8, 9a, 10 and 11) were carried out in 10% w. polyrelevant results are also shown for comparison.

TABLE I Content of Initiator MA bound to polymer, percent w. on Meq. carbonly groups per 100 g. of unsoluble modified polymer aitermodified polymer atter-- material Added Hoekstra (gel content), Exp. No. Name quantity, phr. 46h. 1h. 2h. 3h. 4h. %11. 1h. 2h. 3h. 4h. value percent W.2

la AIBN 0.1 0.04 0.08 0.20 0.33 0.46 0.8 1.6 4.0 6.6 9.2 62 30 AIBN 0.1 0.06 0.10 0.04 0.23 0.25 1.1 2.0 2.8 4.6 5.0 60 70 AIBN 0.3 0.08 0.19 0.49 0.72 0.87 1.6 3.8 9.8 14.4 17.4 62 AIBN 0.3 0.10 0.14 0.27 0.35 0.41 2.0 2.8 5.4 7.0 8.2 59 78 AIBN 0.5 0.12 0.25 0.64 0.95 1.10 2.4 5.0 12.8 19.0 22.0 62 36 AIBN 0.5 0.13 0.20 0.31 0.37 0.42 2.6 4.0 6.2 7.4 8.4 62 78 AIBN 0.5 0.05 0.09 0.16 0.23 0.28 1.0 1.8 3.2 4.6 5.6 59 AIBN 0.5 0.04 0.08 0.16 0.24 0.31 0.8 1.6 3.2 4.8 6.2 60 61 AIBN 0.5 0.04 0.07 0.15 0.23 0.30 0.8 1.4 3.0 4.6 6.0 60 59 AIBN 0.5 0.04 0.08 0.19 0.28 0.36 0.8 1.6 3.8 5.6 7.2 61 68 AIBN 1.0 0.20 0. 36 0.77 1.20 1.40 4.0 7.2 15.4 24.0 28.0 62 51 DBPO 0.5 0.12 0.21 0.40 0.62 0.81 2.4 42 8.0 12.4 16.2 61 21 5 DBPO 0.5 0.20 0.34 0.63 40 6.8 12.6 61

1 As determined according to the method by E. W. Duck and I. A. Waterman described in Rubber and Plaxtic Age 42 (1961) 1079-1083 with the aid of the apparatus described in Proceedings Rubber Technology Conference, London, 1938, page 362. v

2 This content relates to the uantity of materlal which proved to be insoluble in n-pentane at 25 C.

a=Experiments carried out in the mixture of pentenes and isopentane described: b=Experiments carried out in toluene: c=Experirnents carried out in isooetane: d=Experiments carried out in methylisobutylketone: e=Experiments carried out in cyclohexane: f=Experiments carried out in benzene: phr.=parts by Weight per parts by weight of rubber: AIBN=azo-bis-isobutyronitrile: DBPO=dibenzoylperoxide.

TABLE 11 MA bound to polymer, Meq. carbonyl percent w. on groups per Tensile Elongation at Initial MA modified 100 g. of modi- MA converstrength, break, Exp. No concn., phr. polymer fied polymer sion, percent kg./cm. percent e=Carried out in isooctane. d= Carried out in cyclohexane. e= Carried out in benzene.

f=Carried out in a mixture of equal parts by weight of isooctane and 2-methyl-1-butene.

7 EXAMPLE 111 A number of modification experiments (Nos. l2-17) were carried out as described in Example II. However, instead of MA the modification agent was an imide, Whose name and initial concentration (in phr.) are given in of the isoprene polymer described in Example I and 5 phr. of MA. Thereupon the solution obtained was sheared for 60 minutes by means of a turbomixer, the total energy input being again 150 watt hours per liter and the shear rate again 20,000 sec-" The tensile strength of an Table III. This table also shows experimental results. 5 ul'lvuleaniled eomliesitien of the Pmduet Obtained, The data of Experiment No. 6 are given again for comtermined as described in Example II, was 5.4 kg./cm. parison only. with an elongation at break of 1250%.

TABLE III I id M oilIl t8 ear oii y l I eii i ii. l ll fl ghgi Imlde eon- Tensile Elongation on modified modified version, strength, at break, polymer polymer percent kg/om. percent 1.7 500 0. 00s 0. 09 8 3. 3 1,020 0. 027 0. 31 9 4. 4 1,080 0 055 0. 03 11 5. s ,000 0.15 1.71 15 11.1 1, 000 0. 45 5. 14 1s 15. 1,030 0. 13 0. 51 13 12. 3 080 NPMI N-phenylmaleimlde. NC 22 Ln N-(Czz alkyl)malelmide.

EXAMPLE IV We claim as our invention:

A series of modification experiments (Nos. 18-27) 2 A procehs for the preparahohpf a modified syhthehc were carried out in w. polyisoprene solutions con- 25 i g a h f by fi g fz of h g taining pentenes and isopentane as described in Example e mo 1 6 W1 h ah y ohlhh ah I, but with the difference that dilauroyl peroxide fin cally unsaturated 1,2-dicarboxylic acid, said reaction (DLPO) was used as the radical-yielding initiator and helhg brought about In the Presence of ah added hydro" that in some of these experiments (Nos. 24 28) carbon-soluble radical-yielding initiator at a temperature ylmaleimide (NPMI) was used as the modifying age below 150 C. said reaction being carried out in a soluinstead of MA. Fuither experimental conditions as well tlon of the Polymer to be medlfied in a solvent eemprlslng as the results obtained after the reaction period of 4 of at1eat0ne e hydrocarbonhours are summarized in Table IV, in which again, for A process accordlng to 61am 1 m which the nt comparison the data regarding Experiment No. 6 are comprises one or more acrylic alkenes having from 3 to shown. 10 carbon atoms.

TABLE IV MA or NPMI ound to Meq. Modifying agent polymer, carbonyl percentw groups per Tensile Elongation Initial DLPO on modified 100g. modistrength, at break, eonen., phr. added, phr. polymer polymer kg./cm. percent 0 1.7 000 0.5 0.1 0. 05 1.2 4.1 1180 0. 25 0. i 0. 05 i. 0 3. 5 1180 1. 00 0. i 0.08 1. 6 7. 0 1100 0. 25 0. 25 0. 04 0. s 0. 0 1100 0. 25 0. 05 0. 03 0. 5 4 000 0.25 0.01 0.02 0.4 1.5 000 o. 25 0. 1 0. 05 0. 57 4. 6 1010 0.5 0.1 0.08 0.91 5.5 940 1.0 0.1 0. 00 1. 03 5.9 950 0.5 0.05 0.03 0. 34 42 000 EXAMPLE V 3. A process according to claim 1 in which the mono- 129 grams of the isoprene polymer described in olefinic hydrocarbon content of the solvent is at least ample I and 5 phr. of MA were dissolved in a mixture 10% of 500 ml toluene with 500 of the isopentane 4. A process according to claim 1 in which the dicne pentene isomers mixture described also in Example I. .modlhed has been Prepared solhhoh Thereupon this solution was Subjected to Shearing for polymerization in a solvent of the type defined in claim 1 90 minutes by means of a turbomixer at a shear rate of and the modification reaction is carried out in a polymer 20 000 86071, the total energy input being 150 Watt solution originating from the sa d polymer zation. holus per liter 5. A process according to claim 4 in which the modifi- The tensile strength of an unvulcanized composition of a Started f h the Polymehza' the product obtained was determined as described in hon macho whh the h q Example II and proved to be 6.8 kg./cm. the elongation 6. A process according to claim in which the solution at bmak being 900%. of the polymer to be modified contains less than 10% w. of

This experiment was repeated the only difference being hhgonverted chehe z h 1 1 h th that the shearing (to the same degree) of the polymer 1 g g agcor mg to 6 mm m w 10 e solution took place in the absence of maleic anhydride. 0 Ihc y rocar OMS) ahd the chehe monomer mm Now the green Strength was only 23 kgjcmg, with an which the polymer has been prepared have the same elongation at break of 610%. number of carbon h 8. A process according to claim 7, in which the polymer EXAMPLE VI to be modified is a synthetic isoprene polymer and the sol- 900 milliliters of toluene were mixed with 100 ml. of Vent Comprises one ef'mere p f e a mixture containing about 20% w. isoprene, about A p e e f t0 elalm 5 111 Whleh the p y 33% w. of isopentane and about 45% w. of pentene isoto be q e s an isoprene p y pr p y solutlon mers, (the remainder being small amounts of other hypelymefllatlon the Presence of a llthlum hydreeafbyl drocarbons). In this total mixture were dissolved 100 g. compound- 10. A process according to claim 1 in which the reaction with the anhydride or the imide is brought about by shearing the polymer solution with a total energy of at least 100 watt hours per liter and at a shear rate of at least 10,000 sec.

11. A process for the preparation of a modified synthetic conjugated diene polymer by reaction of the rubbery polymer to be modified with an anhydride or imide of an olefinically unsaturated, 1,2-dicarboxylic acid, said reaction being brought about in the absence of an added initiator at a temperature within the range of from 60 to 180 C.

12. A process according to claim 11 wherein the reaction with the anhydride or the imide is brought about by shearing the polymer solution with a total energy of at least 100 watt hours per liter at a shear rate of at least 10,000 sec.-

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 2,824,859 2/1958 Fasce 260-785 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,066,873 4/ 1967 Great Britain.

10 JOSEPH L. SCHOF-ER, Primary Examiner C. A. HENDERSON, 111., Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

